Roller unit



Feb. 13, 1951 w, u FERRET 2,541,220

ROLLER UNIT Filed Feb. 28, 1946 V INVEN TOR.

ARTHUR W. DUPERRET mx/f a A TORNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1951 ROLLER UNIT Arthur w. Du Perret, St. Louis County, Mo., as-

, signor to Automatic Devices, Incorporated, St. N Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri ApplicationFebruary 28, 1946, Serial No. 650,820

This invention relates to rollers and-more particularly to a roller construction and mountin thereof to produce a unitary structure.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a single roller unit which can be employed in an efficient manner to accomplish easy moving of various types of articles.

Another object is to produce a roller unit which is simple in design and sturdy in construction.

Yet another object is to produce a roller unit which can be employed individually or with other like units for conveying lengthy articles,

A further object is to provide a roller mountin structure which will permit ready adjustment of the roller so that it can be used to eiflciently move and guide articles having Widths narrower than the roller length or to move, without guiding, articles having widths greater than the roller length.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view .of a roller unit embodying myinventiom... i I "I Figure 2 is atop viewof the'roller unit;

' Figure 3 is aside view .of vthesaid roller unit; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to theflgures in detail, the roller unit disclosed has a base plate I provided at its ends with roller supports 2 and 3. The base plate and the-end supports are made fro n a single plate of steel or other suitable material and the supports constitute flanges turned at right angles to the plane of the base plate. The end support or flange 2 has two holes 4 and 5 therethrough in vertical arrangement and similarly arranged holes 6 and I are provided in the end support or flange 3. The roller of the unit comprises a hollow cylindrical member 8 which is arranged to be rotatably mounted on an axle 9. This axle 9 is supported in the holes of the supports or flanges 2 and 3 and may be positioned in either the lower holes 4 and 6 of the flanges or the upper holes 5 and 1. Any suitable bearing structure may be employed for rotatably mounting the roller 8 on the axle. The bearing structure shown comprises flanged roller bearings I0 and H inserted in the ends of the cylindrical roller member.

When the axle 9 is positioned in the two lower holes 4 and 6 the roller will lie below the outer edges l2 and I3 of the supports or flanges 2 and ,2 Claims. (01. 192-42) 3 and thus the upper portions of these flanges will constitute guides for holding any article which is to be moved on the roller from slipping off the ends of said roller. When the axle is placed in the upper holes 5 and I, then the roller will have an exposed surface above the top edges I2 and I3 of the flanges. When the roller is so mounted the flanges will no longer act as guides and it is thus possible to move over the roller an article which has a greater width than the length of the roller.

The flanges 2 and 3 are each formed to be in the shape of a half of an octagon and the marginal portions at the angular edges on opposite sides of the top edge l2 of the flange 2 are flared outwardly to provide wings indicated at 14 and 15. In a similar manner the marginal portions at the angular edges on opposite sides of the top edge 13 of the flange 3 are flared outwardly to provide wing portions indicated at it and I1. With this arrangement it is seen that there will be less likelihood of any material which is passed over the roller when the roller is in its lowermost position from hitting the flanges 2 and 3. The particular flaring arrangement of the flanges is also very beneficial in aiding guiding when a plurality of roller units are arranged at spaced intervals to form a conveyor along which lengthy articles can be conveyed, such as rods, pipes, beams and the like.

The roller unit is also so constructed as to be capable of being flrmly secured to a floor or some other surface or member. To accomplish this the base plate I is provided with holes 13, i9, 20 and 2| at its four corners so that bolts or lag screws may be employed to accomplish the securing. Also, in order to aid in firmly securing the roller unit and to additionally prevent shifting of the roller unit in the event that it is not bolted or screwed down, the marginal portions 22 and 23 adjacent the longitudinal edges of the base plate are turned or pinched in a direction away from the extending flanges to thus form relatively sharp ridges 24 and 25 which can engage a surface and thus assist in preventing shifting of the roller unit. If the surface engaged should be of wood and the roller unit is secured thereto by bolts or screws, these ridges will be caused to be forced into the wood and thus aid in firmly holding the roller unit from shifting.

In order that the axle 9 for the roller may be held in either of its desired positions, and yet be easily removable from the supports 0r flanges 2 and 3', its ends are provided with holes in which can be inserted cotter pins 26 as shown. Thus s so that the flanges 2- and 3 can act as guides.

a window sill. Another use for a single would be as a dolly. When it is so used the axle is. mounted in the upperholes 5 and I so that the surface of the roller is above. the flanges 2 and 3. The unit is then turned upside. down from the position shown in Figure 1 so that the article to be moved rests upon thebottom surface of the base plate and the roller rests on a floor or like surface. The article can then be pushed and. it will roll along the floor in somewhat the same manner as a caster. It will befoundsuperior to just plain rollers since it is not necessary to keep replacing rollers under the article beingmoved. If it is desired to make a conveyor for lengthy articles from a plurality of rollers, the roller units will be, positioned in spaced aligned relation with their axes parallel to each other. The article to be. moved can then be pushed down the line; of roller units. If the lengthy article is of narrower width than the Width of the roller, theaxle thereof should be placed in the lower holes; 4 and 6 If the article being moved is wider than the length of the. roller,.then the axle should beplaced'. in. the upper holes 5 and 7. Other uses of the roller unit will readily suggest themselves- Being aware of the possibility of. modification of the structure shown and described without departing from the fundamental principles of my invention, I do not intend that the scope of the. invention be limited inany manner exceptin accordance with the appended claims.

What is claimed" is:

1-. In; a roller unit; a base plate having integral flanges extending at' right angles from the-ends thereof, the marginal portions adjacent, the longitudinal edges of the base plate-being: turned in a direction away from. the: iiangesto provide side ridges'extending beyond the surface of the base plate, said base plate also being provided with holes for receiving attaching means tosecure the base plate to another member and" cause the ridges to be forced against or into. said other member, and a roller supported atits. ends. in the flanges and arranged. for freerotati'on about its axis, said end flanges each having outwardly flared wing portions on opposite sides of the axis of the roller and said roller being mounted to have all of its circumferential surface'below the plane of the outer edges in order that said flanges can act as guides for a member moved over the roller.

2'. In a roller unit, a base plate: having integral flanges extending at right angles from the ends thereof, the marginal portions adjacent the longitudinal edges of the base plate being turned in a direction away from the flanges to provide side ridges positionedbeyondthe surface of the base plate, said base plate also being provided with holes for receiving attaching means to secure the base plate toanother member and force the ridges against or. into said other member, and each end flange having vertically spaced openingstherein, an axle arranged to have its ends positioned in companion openings at equal distances from the: base, plate, and: a. cylindrical member iouinaled; onthe. axle the axle receiving openings closest tothe, base plate: being so positioned' that. when the axle is positioned therein the roller will. be within; the, outer ends of the flanges: and the axle receiving opening farthest from the base plate beingso positioned that when the aide is positioned therein a portion of. the roller willbeoutside the outer ends of the flanges.

ARTHUR W. DU FERRET.

REFERENCES CI'IED The followingreferences are of record in the fileof this patent? UNITED STATES, PATENTS OTHER; REFERENCES Mathews. Conveyors-Engineering Data and Applications-copyright 1930;. V r 

